Council bucks plan commission, approves new church on northwest side

This property at 2707 Williamsburg Pike in Richmond will become a church after Richmond Common Council approved a zoning change.(Photo: Jason Truitt/Palladium-Item)

RICHMOND, Ind. — After a long and frustrating search to find a home for his new church and ministry trade school, Pastor Tim Cummings finally received some good news Monday night.

Richmond Common Council voted 7-2 to approve a zoning change for two parcels along Williamsburg Pike near Interstate 70, paving the way for Cummings' New Creations Chapel Inc. to set up shop there and remove an existing eyesore.

The vote came after Cummings had two previous applications to start his church along Progress Drive denied by the city's planning department and a third to use a strip of land on Highland Road voted down by Richmond Common Council in February.

This time around, Cummings was asking to rezone property at 2701 and 2707 Williamsburg Pike from industrial commercial to institutional district, and things were not going well for the pastor.

Two weeks ago, the Richmond Advisory Plan Commission voted 6-2 to recommend that council deny the change because the city's comprehensive plan and Unified Development Ordinance call for that area to be set aside for other uses and because of concerns about taking the property off the tax rolls, among other issues.

More than 20 people turned out Monday night to show their support for the project, which will turn the home currently on the property into an office for New Creations Chapel Inc. while the block building next door is renovated into a church and ministry training area with the addition of a kitchen on the north side, according to documents filed with the city's planning office.

A garage and a small barn also on the property would be converted into storage facilities, and a parking lot big enough for at least 60 cars would be created.

Future plans call for construction of a community building on the site as well as additional parking. Work would be completed as funds permit and need occurs.

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The last time Cummings' plans came before city council, members voted 4-3 against it — two council members missed that February meeting — in order to preserve the land along Highland Road for potential future commercial development.

On Monday, the two council members who were absent previously — Misty Hollis and Ron Oler — cast votes in favor of the Williamsburg Pike zoning change, as did two councilors who were "no" votes last time: Doug Goss and Jamie Lopeman.

Cummings said he made offers on two churches in the city but ultimately no deal was to be had on those. As far as Reid Memorial goes specifically, Cummings pointed to a reversionary clause in that building's deed that says the church must remain a Presbyterian congregation and continue the Reid Memorial name or ownership goes to the heirs of the Daniel Reid family.

"I like the church, but it also doesn't have enough ground for what I would want and for the things that I hope to do in this in the future. It just wouldn't work out for me," Cummings said.

Jason Truitt is the team leader and senior reporter at the Palladium-Item. Contact him at 765-973-4459 or jtruitt@pal-item.com.